1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to handrail fittings and transition joints for interconnecting curved stairway handrail elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Spiral staircases are generally custom built because each staircase has to fit within greatly differing available spaces, transcend differing heights, and most importantly, be aesthetically pleasing. Historically, such stairways have been built around the most majestic use of curves. The designer has a lot of flexibility in using combinations of various curves and straight sections, positioning of landings, the use of volutes and other elements of the handrail. Custom staircase handrails are massive structures most frequently made in hard wood. Standard fittings are available to form transitions between the continuous handrail line which climbs the stairway. They have the shape of the handrail, but they must be cut and worked in the field in order to form joints where the fittings are interconnected with the handrail elements. Since the fasteners must be hidden, extension blocks connecting uprisings to newel posts are conventionally worked from the bottom side to avoid disturbing the more visible upper surface of the bannister. Making connections in hard wood from the bottom side, often in tight spaces, is a very labor intensive and difficult task. In spite of the best efforts, misalignment and incompletely hidden joints which detract from the aesthetic appearance is the rule rather than the exception.
The term "fittings" is used in the industry to denote the parts used at the end of a given run of handrail to connect one handrail to another at turns, pitch changes, landings, etc. Fittings are also often used to artfully start handrail systems, cap dowel top newel posts, connect rails of differing altitudes in a given run and provide rail terminations. The term "fitting" as used in the plumbing profession is not unlike how it is used in the stair handrailing profession, that is, the fittings are used at the ends of pipe to make junctions and interconnections between them. Years ago handrail fittings were custom and often hand made for each individual stair (in often less than ideal circumstances). Some time later, conditions common to all stairs where fittings were being used were analyzed by stair materials manufacturers in an attempt to standardize, mass produce and distribute as inventoriable items to the stair building consumer. Many of these fittings are an assemblage of small components to solve for a given condition on a stair. These fitting assemblies as currently offered do save much time at the construction site and have been well received in the marked but do have many drawbacks.
The small components used to assemble large fittings have too many joints that break visual continuity through mismatching colors and grain patterns. The many joints are also unsightly because they are often conventionally made using parallel spaced apart saw cuts in the underside of two adjoining pieces and steel clips driven into the saw cuts are exposed to view on the underside of the fitting joint and must then be filled.
The conventional fittings are offered preassembled in only a standard group of sizes which do not accurately fit the majority of stairs and in the press of time are often installed improperly rather than being rebuilt at the job to correctly fit the application. This is due, in part, to the fact that stair casements are often constructed without regard to the design limitations of current standard fittings that must be made to conform to the stair at the time the handrail is installed. The problem is compounded by changing building codes which require certain handrail height, for example, that the standard fittings do not accommodate.
Fittings are currently designed to fit only one position on the stair, therefore requiring a large variety of sizes to be stocked, much of which gathers dust or must be sent for, causing delays at the job site. Due to the large number of parts required under the present system to complete a given stairway, a high degree of product knowledge is required to sell or purchase them correctly. This often leads to costly errors and delay at the job site.
The fittings are not prepared at the factory for quick assembly to connecting newels or handrail at the job site, but rather, require a good deal of time and skill to be properly laid out, hand drilled, bolted up and worked in accurately. Even a small misalignment of the parts creates an objectionable appearance.
It would be highly desirable to provide boxed fittings which are prefabricated at the factory site to require no more than simple straight saw cuts which can be accurately made in the field. It would also be desirable to produce fewer fittings which are easily altered in the field to produce left or right connections or be adjusted with simple saw cuts to accommodate different distances and angular connections to reduce inventory.